Any of the martial arts that rely heavily on forms are worthless. Go MMA/BJJ if there is a studio in ur AO.

I have just started taking Jeet Kune Do (Ted Wong style) so far from what I have seen is about 80% boxing 5% kicking and 15% MMA grappling. So you get alot of different training in one spot if there is a place near by I would try it out. Also it would be worth the time to go to all of the dojos in your area most places offer a free class so take one and see what you like the best. Any training will be better then no training.

Well good luck to you. I hope you have as much fun in your class as I do in mine. I just wish I would have started taking classes years ago

I'm 48, currently study BJJ with a blue belt.

BJJ is similar to Judo but has more focus on ground work. The Judo throws are harder on us old people.

I am 4th Degree Black Belt in Shorin-Ryu Karate. Another real "old school" style. It takes a long time to learn all the karate katas, but the self-defense is in the fists, not the forms. If you are not learning self-defense in karate, you are doing it wrong. With that said, I have no quarrel with people that study different arts, or train for MMA. It's all good.

Check out Israeli Krav Maga! pure self defense/hand to hand, no uniform, no point system, no kata's to remember.
Google Krav Maga and read the difference between KM and traditional martial arts.

Don't be fooled by the Krav fitness craze that tries to mix some form of defense and aerobic workout. You want strictly self defense school/classes. You'll get a lot of cardio in the warm ups before class starts.

find the closest certified Krav Maga instructor, there are several KM organizations in the US that certify their instructors. if there is a local Jewish Community center, sometimes you can find instructors there or at least find a lead.

don't get pulled into the who is better than who bull crap. They all have their personal flavors but when it comes down to it Krav is Krav. a groin strike is the same groin strike whether it's a IKMF, IKFF, KMF, CKM...

Ask questions such as what are their philosophy of self defense, requirements for each level/belt, is there a beginner's class, required gear to purchase. Do an online research of whatever organization they are affiliated with if you're in doubt about who they are.

I've been a "student" of Krav Maga for 7 months now. I'm a retire 58 yr old LEO and wished I had known this H2H years ago. It is the most practical self defense techniques I have ever learned. Going for my level 1 in a few weeks.

Hope this helps anyone out there looking for something worth the time and money to invest into when it comes down to unarmed H2H combat.

CH and MMA is a good combo, although I'm not a fan of Pelligrini.

We had an older gentleman train with us for a few months. His company temporally transferred him to the area. He was a Russian immigrant and after a few training sessions it was apparent that he was experienced in some form of combat art, but never spoke about his past to us. Our instructor recognized some of his techniques as Systema. He was very smooth and fluid. Because of our closeness in age he opened up a little bit and did show me a few techniques when it fit into what we were doing that session. Very eye opening and I agree it would take a while to learn that style/system. I've tried to at least incorporate some of the systema theory into my drills with limited success. He has since not been able to attend or has returned home. Our loss!

Kinda depends on the style of Karate. If the school is teaching Kyokushin then combine that with the BJJ classes they are also offering and you have a pretty good mix that would even stand up well in local MMA matches. If it is one of th epoint sparring only styles then I would skip it or only show up on BJJ nights.

Don't let your age stop your from BJJ. I roll with a guy that is 50 and he is close to getting his blue belt.

I've found that in my lifetime (45 years) that martial training and technique have lost their effectiveness in the U.S., from a broad market perspective. Unfortunately, too many dojos have instructors with limited knowledge and/or are singularly focused on belt promotion for pay as a means of generating revenue (i.e. McDojos - where students only punch air and/or do point fighting and/or produce 6-8 year old black belts). The result of such dojos are that students frequently have limited personal defense skills but have cool looking uniforms and/or trophies. It takes time and patience to find instructors who have knowledge and are focused on combative or full contact training. I think that BJJ, MMA and schools that focus on Krav Maga are excellenct considerations. I spent 13 years in Bando (martial art from Burma, combining Muay Thai and Kung Fu techniques) and am now training BJJ with my wife and 3 sons.

My wife recently took two of her girlfriends to her martial arts class since they were curious about her excitement, increasing confidence and improved fitness. Both of them were so shocked at the degree of physical contact (i.e. arm bars, throws, chokes, punches and kicks). They stated that they'd never allow their children to participate in such a class and they wouldn't be coming back either! In short the violence (even with protective gear and close oversight) horrified them! One of the two has had her children in the largest "McDojo" in our town for many years so the contrast between our training and the training that she's seen for many years couldn't have been more different. Unfortunately, I am concerned the training that our neighbor's children have received will given them limited ability to protect themselves.

Where in CA are you? You can PM me if you don't want to broadcast it.

As far as Karate goes, it's not like the old days, where they sparred hard, and guys really learned how to fight. It's now devolved into
an artform that's more like dancing than fighting. Most strip mall dojo's are really in the fitness and daycare business. They aren't
turning out fighters- most people nowadays don't want to get hurt, and the school doesn't want to get sued.

Your best bet is to combine good grappling, via judo/bjj/wrestling with striking- via boxing/muay thai with weapons- FMA for sticks/blades
and firearms. Honestly, most of the krav I've seen has been krap. Many of the people teaching it aren't truly qualified- they probably came
from a TMA background, and took a seminar to get "certified" so they could cash in.

Modified "tactical" MMA is the way to go. Do MMA type training, but with a different mindset and goal- don't do things that wouldn't work
in a no rules environment- such as "pulling guard", or "turtling" when getting hit. Don't take every fight to the ground when you don't have
to, but be prepared if it does go there.

Also, lots of guys out there think that because they watch UFC, they know how to fight. They will try things that vaguely resemble MMA
but they won't know the little things that make the difference- but, a big guy can still muscle his way through it and make the techniques
somwwhat work.

I was out one night at a bar, and a couple of guys next to me were talking about some MMA technique they saw on "the ultimate fighter"
show, and were doing it wrong. I told one of the guys he shouldn't do what he was doing, because it would get him choked. He asked
me to prove it- in a friendly way, not hostile. So, he did his little move, and I put him in a guillotine.

Anyway, MMA with weapons and the proper mindset is the way to go. It's basically what MCMAP is.

There's a lot of things that could be useful in MMA that aren't there, simply because people don't want to train those techniques to the point of effectiveness.